International Dialogue on Migration 2021 – Accelerating integrated action on sustainable development: migration, the environment and climate change

Background

Since 2001, IDM has provided a multitude of stakeholders worldwide with a platform for timely debates on a full range of migration issues and their linkages with other policy domains.

This year, the International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) convened its 20th edition on the topic of migration, the environment and climate change. Ten years later after the first IDM session dedicated to the emerging nexus between the migration, environment and climate change, IOM revisited the topic at a time of increasing political urgency, and in view of the deep impacts of the COVID-19 global health crisis linking climate and migration to current and future development issues.

On the 70th anniversary of IOM and the 20th anniversary of the IDM, IOM is more than ever committed to foster greater cooperation and enhance cross-sectoral partnerships to develop and implement collective actions that concretely address the increasingly complex and interconnected migration challenges of today.

Overview

Traditionally held at the United Nations in New York, the first session of the 2021 was held on-line from 25 to 27 May, 9:00 to 12:00 EST. It offered delegates in New York, Geneva and other locations worldwide a space to discuss some of the key dimensions of the migration, environment and climate change nexus, linked to the broader implementation of global frameworks, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The session aimed to contribute to the political momentum building towards the 26th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), taking place in Glasgow, in November 2021.

The session highlighted good practices, lessons learned and recommendations that support governments and other stakeholders to develop and implement inclusive policies and programmes to address issues linked to the migration, environment and climate change nexus and maximize opportunities. The results and recommendations of the Dialogue will be published in the IDM Red Book which will be made available to all contributors and

participants. These recommendations will also feed into upcoming events and forum, including the UNFCCC COP26 and the International Migration Review Forum.

Agenda

Day One May 25^th, 2021

9:00-10:00 Opening Session

• Mr. Antonio Vitorino, Director General, IOM (Opening remarks)

Keynote remarks:

• Honourable Prime Minister Rear Admiral (Retired) Mr. Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, Fiji (Remarks)
• Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans living abroad, Kingdom of Morocco (Remarks)
• Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75^th session of the General Assembly (Remarks)
• Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations (Remarks)
• Runa Khan, Founder and Executive Director, Friendship (Remarks)

10:00-12:00 Panel 1: The Road to COP 26- Accelerating action to address migration and displacement in the context of climate and environmental change

Moderator: Mr. António Vitorino, Director General, IOM and Coordinator of the United Nations Network on Migration

Speakers:

• A. K. Abdul Momen, MP, Honourable Foreign Minister, Bangladesh (Remarks)
• Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Egypt (Remarks)
• Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth, United Kingdom International Champion on Adaptation and Resilience for the COP 26 Presidency (Remarks)
• Frank Tressler Zamorano, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva (Remarks)
• Ovais Sarmad, Deputy Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (Remarks)
• Andreas Papaconstantinou, Director for Neighbourhood and Middle East, Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), European Commission (Remarks)

Interventions from the floor submitted to the Secretariat:

• Delegation of Ecuador
• Delegation of the Holy See

Day Two May 26^th, 2021

9:00-10:30 Panel 2: Understanding the linkages between migration, environment and climate change (MECC) and migration health in the context of COVID-19, and promoting the inclusion of MECC dimensions in COVID-19 recovery efforts

Moderator: Ms. Monica Goracci, Director, Department of Migration Management, IOM

• Maria Neira González, Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, WHO (Remarks)
• Ibrahim Abubakar, Chair, Lancet Migration, and Climate Change and Migration Lead, Director, Institute for Global Health, University College London (Remarks)
• Kristof Tamas, Senior Adviser, Ministry of Justice, Division for Migration and Asylum Policy, Sweden (Remarks)
• Elizabeth Ferris, Research Professor, Institute for the Study of International Migration, Georgetown University (Remarks)
• Verena Knaus, Global Lead, Migration and Displacement, UNICEF (Remarks)

Interventions from the floor submitted to the Secretariat:

• Delegation of the Holy See

10:30-12:30 Panel 3: Examining the linkage between Migration, Environment and Climate Change and the Humanitarian, Development, Peace Nexus (HDPN)

Moderator: Ms. Angelica Broman, Senior Advisor, Humanitarian, Development, Peace Nexus, IOM

Speakers:

• Mr. Joost Klarenbeek, Special Envoy for Migration, Netherlands (Remarks)
• Ms. Grata Endah Werdaningtyas, Ambassador/Chargé d’Affaires, Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva (Remarks)
• Gral. Anicet Nibaruta, Head of National Platform for Disaster Risk Management, Burundi (Remarks)
• Ms. Cecilia Jimenez-Damary, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons (Remarks)
• Ms. Faryde Carlier González, Director of Economic, Social and Environmental Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Colombia (Remarks)
• Mr. Andrew Harper, Special Advisor on Climate Action, UNHCR (Remarks)
• Mr. Ignacio Packer, Executive Director, International Council of Voluntary Agencies (Remarks)

Interventions from the floor submitted to the Secretariat:

• Delegation of UNODC
• Delegation of Canada

Day Three May 27^th, 2021

9:00-10:25 Panel 4: Developing multi-stakeholder approaches to leverage opportunities and support the inclusion of migrants and internally displaced people to build a sustainable future

Moderator: Ms. Dina Ionesco, Head, Migration, Environment and Climate Change Division, IOM

Keynote Speaker: Mr. Naser Nuredini, Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, North Macedonia

Speakers:

• Amadou Diaw, Technical Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad, Senegal (Remarks)
• Balgis Osman-Elasha, Chief Climate Change and Green Growth Specialist, Regional Coordinator, North Africa Development and Business Delivery Centre, African Development Bank (Remarks)
• Enja Saethren, Senior Business Development Analyst, Scatec, Norway (Remarks)
• Irfan Ullah Afridi, United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth (Remarks)
• Belal Altiné Sow, Co-founder, Sow Ranch, Senegal (Remarks)

Interventions from the floor submitted to the Secretariat:

• Delegation of Ecuador

10:25-11:45 Panel 5: Promoting and supporting regional, national and local action on migration, environment and climate change;

Moderator: Ms. Michele Klein-Solomon, Regional Director for Central and North America and the Caribbean, IOM

Speakers:

• Her Worship Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone (Remarks)
• Cristopher Ballinas Valdés, Director General for Human Rights and Democracy at the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mexico (Remarks)
• Sino Tokhir Tokhirzoda, Acting Director, “Sayru sayohat”, Committee for Environmental Protection, Tajikistan (Remarks)
• María Florencia Carignano, National Director of Migration, Argentina (Remarks)
• Ms. Lena Brenn, Disaster Displacement Adviser, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Remarks)
• Katja Schaefer, Inter-Regional Advisor, UN (Remarks)

11:45-12:00 Closing session

Closing Remarks

• Laura Thompson, Deputy Director-General, IOM (Remarks)

Event Documents and Videos

• Summary of Conclusions
• Opening Remarks, IOM Director General
• Closing Remarks, IOM Deputy Director General
• Concept note
• Provisional agenda
• Recordings of the Sessions
• Final Report of the Session